The Picture That Changed History
by Mehret Mandefro (@DrMehret)
In 1991, the African Union (AU) established the Day of the African Child to honor the memory of the young South African freedom fighters who died as part of the Soweto Uprising. Every year since, on June 16, the AU uses the Day of the African Child to invite the world to reflect on the rights of African children and shed light on the injustices they face. This year’s theme is ending child marriage and it is particularly powerful given its connection to the Day of the African Child’s origin story.
In 1976, ten thousand brave children in Soweto South Africa protested against apartheid-inspired education that robbed them of their right to a decent education. Their peaceful demonstration ended with 23 deaths at the hands of South African police officials and sparked days of protests known as the Soweto Uprising. This uprising was the beginning of the end of the apartheid regime.
Images of police officials using excessive force, against the students, including live ammunition, captured the consciousness of the world and exposed the brutality of the apartheid government at a time when the liberation movement was banned. One photo in particular, taken by Sam Nzima circulated around the world and “changed the course of South African history”. The picture (depicted to the left) shows a 13-year old schoolboy, Hector Pieterson, after he had been shot by the police in the arms of another 18-year old boy, Mbuyisa Makhubo, who was carrying him to a clinic with Hector’s sister running alongside them. This iconic image captured the brutal response these brave children faced and became the poster for the anti-apartheid movement.
Throughout history, children have courageously helped move our world forward. At the leading edge of many social movements, it is the moral compass that brave youth possess and act upon that often serves as a clarion call for social change. The responses young people bring to old traditions often lead to breakthroughs that advance the human condition.
DIFRET is a feature film about how one young Ethiopian girl, Aberash Bekele, responded to the harmful practice of child marriage. Based on a true story, the film portrays the complexity of a country’s transformation toward equal rights, featuring the courageous generation that dares to own it.
But when 14 million girls are married off too young each year, their opportunity to make a real impact in the world is lost. This loss harms us all. If you have never heard about the issue of child marriage, change that today and help us do something about it.
Though the Day of the African Child has come and gone, the work to end child marriage needs to continue everyday. As we reflect on the devastating consequences child marriage has on girls, it is important to draw the simple connection it has to us all. Child marriage is killing our chance of having a better world — perhaps this is its greatest tragedy.
